Home at Last
by elliecaseyh
Summary: After the events of Avengers Endgame, Steve returns to the army base that was left to mourn his passing. He is reunited with Peggy Carter and has to explain everything that happened after he woke up in a whole new place and time. (Contains Endgame spoilers) I loved Avengers Endgame, but I wish it had included Steve and Peggy being reunited after so long, so I wrote this rendition.


The year was 1945. A solemn army base was drenched in rain and covered in dark, weighted silence. Inside the building, not many officials were working. In an open room, most of the men sat in silence, every once in a while saying something like "He was a good man" or "I never thought this day would come". A TV in the corner murmured quietly, flashing pictures of the man who had lost his life that day. The reporter stood beside a picture of Steve that they had taken just days before.

"Today we honor America's Star-Spangled Man who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. A man who valued nothing more than our freedom-", one man interrupted the show.

"Turn it off. This isn't helping anyone". He stood up, a look of sadness on his stern face, "Steve wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want us just to sit here mourning, he would want us to use this as motivation to win this war. We need to finish the fight he started". There were a few murmurs of agreement, but still, nobody moved.

"He's right you know". Another man said, looking at the ground. "We need to get on our feet again. We all know Steve would have". The despair was tangible, but they all knew they had to get back up.

"Thank you, Howard," The first man said. "Now, go round up the others. And Mr. Stark, have you seen Agent Carter?" He asked.

"No sir, but I don't think we should bother her. She's been through a lot today", Howard Stark said solemnly.

On the other side of the building, in an office labeled "Agent Carter", Peggy sat on the ground, leaning against a wall with her head tucked into her knees. Quiet sobs shook her body; her usual put-together appearance had been abandoned. She was overrun with sadness, despair flooding through her veins. Her mind just kept playing back their last conversation, just seconds before he crashed his plane to save thousands of lives. She remembered the second she heard his voice coming from the plane's radio system. She remembered telling him she could find a safe landing site and feeling her heart skip a beat when he said, "it's not going to be a safe landing". She remembered when he said, "I've gotta put her in the water" and she begged him not to, knowing he would do it no matter what she said. Thinking back she felt how her heart broke when he told her it was his choice; that moment she knew there was nothing anybody could do. Worst of all, she heard his voice in her head over and over before it was cut off by static.

She thought back to his first days in the army. There was a vivid image in her mind of the scrawny little boy trailing behind the others until he brought the flag down and rode back with her. She remembered sitting in a room full of people and seeing that he'd kept a picture of her in his compass. The memories wouldn't leave her, but honestly, she didn't want them to. Every once in a while she would wonder if she should try to be strong and go back out to join the others, but that feeling only lasted a fleeting second each time.

Finally, she heard a knock on the door. Startled, she looked up, trying to hurriedly wipe away her tears and jump to her feet.

"I'm sorry, I told them not to bother you, but I'm a bit of a hypocrite. I just wanted to be sure you were okay." Howard stood in the doorway, managing to force a smile. It wasn't like Howard Stark to be sincere, but he was trying.

"It's fine, just please go. I'll be out to join you all in a minute." She said, trying to look unbothered by it all.

"No, take the day off, I can't imagine what you must be going through." He changed his mind after seeing what a wreck she was. Peggy was surprised he could find that much empathy but was grateful nonetheless. She nodded and he left, shutting the door. The moment the door clicked shut she collapsed back onto the floor, sobbing even more than before.

That very second, an anxious, eager man walked up to the entrance of the building. He came to a halt at the door and looked around, remembering the place as if he had never left. He began to pace, unsure of what to say when he walked in through that door. Suddenly he stopped, looking over to the window from Peggy's office. He walked over, placing his hand on the cold glass, unable to see in due to the closed blinds. He took a deep breath, trying to convince his body that this wasn't just a dream, that he was really back, to stay. He backed up slowly and headed back to the entrance, still wordless, but determined to see her again after all this time. He had suffered years and years without her, and just days ago he had been so close to her but forbidden to say a word. He was finally ready.

From inside the compound, the men heard a faint knocking.

"I've got it." one man said, standing up and heading down the hallway and around the corner. The man reached the big, heavy double doors and began to unlock several large locks. He didn't bother to check who it was, although the guards weren't out and not many people came along on days when it was pouring rain... or ever, really. He finished the final lock and jarred the door open.

"Sir, how can I-" He stopped in his tracks, losing his voice. His jaw dropped in astonishment.

"Seargent. It's nice to finally see you again." The man from outside said. He nearly asked if the man remembered him before realizing that for them it had only been a day or two since they last saw him.

"Captain? How on earth? You died yesterday!", the man said in disbelief. Cap just smiled, walking in and patting the man's back.

"Seargent, I've got a bit of explaining to do."

The rest of the men had commenced their discussion in the sergeant's absence. Cap walked around the corner, seeing the group for the first time in seventy-four years. He stood, leaning against the wall, taking it all in just like the first time so long ago. They hadn't noticed yet, at least not until the sergeant caught up to Cap and rounded the corner, a look of pure amazement on his face.

"Boys, look who I found." The man said, still at a loss of words. The whole group whipped around to find Cap standing there grinning.

The room went silent. Nobody could believe their eyes; they had heard him saying he would crash just hours before, and he couldn't have survived that. Still, nobody spoke, so Cap walked up.

"Men, it's good to be back. Let's just say it's been a while and I'll explain later. Does anyone know where Agent Carter is?" With that Howard told him and he nodded. He headed straight for the office of Peggy Carter leaving the men in awe.

From the floor of her office, Peggy heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. She rolled her eyes, naturally assuming it was Howard coming to check on her again. As the footsteps reached the door there was a quiet knock; she wiped her face and said, "Please go away". Steve stopped, his heart pounding harder than ever.

"Peggy?" He said softly, his voice breaking. He couldn't believe he was this close to seeing her again.

When she heard his voice she suddenly stopped breathing, but managed to utter the words, "come in". The door swung open and he saw Peggy sitting against the wall with her knees tucked up to her chest. His heart broke a little to know that he'd left her this way last time. She looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

"St-Steve? You came back?" She asked in disbelief, her voice shaking.

"I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance.", he said, taking a few steps forward. She got up and he just stared; it was surreal. Tears began to streak back down Peggy's cheeks as she stared into his tear-filled eyes.

"It's been seventy-four years since I last saw you," Steve said, still taking it all in. Peggy smiled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I thought you were dead." She said, suddenly embracing him. He just stayed there holding her tight for fear that he would slip back into the present.

"I'm so glad you're alive." Peggy finally said. Steve didn't respond. Her relieved smile faded as she looked into his eyes. She could read the pain on his face and knew something was wrong. She almost asked him about it, but she knew better, so she sighed and pulled him into a hug once more.

After a few minutes, Steve stepped back, looking into her eyes again.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice still weak. Peggy could read the pain in his voice.

"It's worse than I know, isn't it?" She asked, seeing how broken he really was. She knew that even the strongest men could be broken. Steve smiled gently.

"I'm just happy to be back.", he hoped to convince her but failed.

"Really Steve? Don't lie to me. Explain what really happened." She demanded, motioning for him to come to sit with her against the wall. He sat reluctantly and set his head in his hands.

"It's a bit of a long story." He looked at her, but she just gave him a go on kind of look. He took a deep breath and began to explain it all.

He started where they left off: the plane crash. He went on to tell her everything: how he was frozen for 66 years, how he woke up in a whole different time, how he became an Avenger, all of it. She just sat there listening. Finally, after he tried to explain the events of New York in 2012, he stopped.

"What am I doing?" He said, shaking his head. "There's no way you believe any of this, do you?", he frowned. Peggy just smiled gently.

"Listen, Steve, I don't know what happened, but if there's anyone in this world I'd trust, it's you.", she said calmly. Steve didn't buy it.

"Really? I tell you I fought aliens with Stark's son, a Russian spy, a giant green guy, and a god and you don't think I'm delusional?" He asked sarcastically. Peggy put her head in her hands.

"Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm sorry.", she said, exasperated. Steve sighed.

"I know, but don't be.", he paused, becoming stern, "Really, Peggy, I'm telling the truth; I'm not crazy. I thought I was when I woke up in a whole new place and time, but it was real.", he said, putting every ounce of effort into convincing her. There was a brief silence.

"What happened after 2012?", she asked, meeting his eyes again. Steve sighed gratefully, relieved that she understood. He then went on to tell her everything up to the snap. She had listened intently, asking questions occasionally.

"He won? Thanos beat all of you?" She asked, thinking of how Steve alone could overpower almost anyone.

"Well, kind of. He beat us then, but after five years we came back together and-", he paused, questioning how to phrase it best, "Tony invented time travel.", he said, thinking for sure she wouldn't believe him.

"That's how you got here.", she said intuitively. Steve smiled for a second.

"You know, I saw you a while ago.", he said.

"After I died?", she asked jokingly.

Steve laughed, "No, it was when I came back to get the stones. It was torture to see you so close after so long and not let you know." He admitted, making Peggy smile too.

"What else happened?", she asked empathetically, knowing there was more Steve needed to get out.

"We got the stones and we came back...", his voice began to fade as he blinked back tears, his smile dissipating immediately. Peggy tried to comfort him, taking his had in hers.

"What is it?" she asked gently, afraid of the answer.

Steve sighed, "Not everyone came back. When we left was the last time I saw Natasha." Peggy squeezed his hand tighter.

"I'm sorry." she didn't know what else to say. A single tear slipped down Steve's face as he finished the story. He told her of Tony's sacrifice and how he left his daughter and wife in order to save the universe. Peggy was astounded; it was a lot to take in. Bucky was alive, Howard would have a son who would die to save the universe, and Steve could time travel. She didn't know what to think, but she did know that he couldn't just make all of that up.

They had been talking for hours, just sitting up against the wall with her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes of silence, Peggy stood up, taking Steve by the hand.

"Come with me." She said, leading him into the hallway. Steve didn't object; he just followed her up a stairway and out onto the roof of the building. It was still raining, but they didn't care.

"Would now be a good time for that dance?" She asked, her face illuminated by the moonlight showing through the clouds. Steve smiled; he was finally back with Peggy, right where he belonged.


End file.
